Category Archives: Sonia Kashuk

I’ve heard some good things recently about Sonia Kashuk’s Velvety Matte Lip Crayons, so the last time I was at Target, I bought Berry Nude 06 to check out. The Velvety Matte Lip Crayons seem to come in six shades (Nudey Nude, Pinky Nude, Blossomy Nude, Berry Nude, Mulberry Nude, and Rosey Nude), and retail for around $7.50.

I dislike the packaging on these. I don’t mind that they need to be sharpened, rather than twist-up; I’ve actually come to prefer non-twist-ups. Sharpening wastes some product, but you end up with a pointier tip rather than a flat tip, which I prefer. But – the packaging is just SO UGLY – especially the cap! It’s silver and doesn’t go with the white and color at all – photo below. It’s not a dealbreaker for me, but I really wish it had a clear, white, or colored cap.

The texture of these is much more akin to a lipstick than a lip pencil – it’s not at all similar to the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils, which are much dryer. It actually has a sort of silicone-y feel – and I was able to completely remove the swatch from my arm by rubbing it off with a dry tissue, no makeup wipe or remover required.

Despite the creaminess, I actually found these slightly drying on my lips, which is quite unusual for me – I often wear very matte lip products that others find drying with no problems at all. So, these may not be a good choice for those of you with dryer lips. This particular shade lasted about two hours for me, which is not great, but not terrible for something so close to my lip color.

I would describe the color as a rosy neutral – just a little bit rosier than my lips but better. The finish is justly described as a velvety matte, it’s mostly matte but with a little bit of dimension and sheen, though no actually shine (and no shimmer at all). It’s a good everyday type shade, but nothing particularly special on me.

Overall, this lip crayon is very “meh” for me – it’s a nice color, but not anything special. The formula is just barely acceptable, but not something I’m excited about. There’s nothing wrong with this lip crayon, but it’s just not a great product for me.

Has anyone tried the SK Lip Crayons? Do you agree, or did you have a better experience with these?

You may have noticed that new posts coming have been going up a little less frequently lately around here; the reason is that I’m studying for the (California) Bar Exam, which is an 18 hour test that will take place in late July. It’s fairly overwhelming and doesn’t leave me with a lot of free time!

Because I’ve been posting less, I have bit of a backlog of photos / reviews. Instead of pressuring myself to write full reviews, I’m going to post some mini-reviews that are heavy on the photos, and light on the text.

Two bronzers that I swatched in-store:

Sonia Kashuk Illuminating Bronzer

Sonia Kashuk Bare Minimum Bronzer

The Illuminating Bronzer is new for Spring/Summer 2012 (I’m fairly sure), and is buttery, smooth, and fantastic. If you’re looking for a shimmery golden bronzer, I would absolutely recommend it. The Bare Minimum Bronzer has been out for a couple years, and seemed a little yellow to me.

Sonia Kasuk Illuminating Bronzer, Bare Minimum Bronzer

I was also intrigued by the Super Sheer Liquid Tints, a liquid blush that comes in a HUGE bottle – .57 oz. By contrast, MUFE HD blush comes in a .02 oz bottle.

Sonia Kashuk Liquid Tint – Peony, Rose, Poppy

I was intrigued, and bought one – Poppy. They are REALLY sheer – I can see now why the bottle is so big; you need quite a lot to come up with a reasonable amount of color. These would be perfect for someone who like a sheer, natural flush, someone who is pale, or someone who wants a foolproof liquid blush.

Sonia Kashuk Poppy

Here are the arm swatches – I built up the blended swatch as heavily as I could; this product is designed to be sheer, and it’s not really possible to make a deep color out of it.

Sonia Kasuk Liquid Blush in Poppy – Unblended / Blended

Sonia Kashuk is one of the better drugstore brands, and I wish it was more widely available (not just a Target exclusive!). Are there any SK products you love and would recommend I check out?